Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Stem Cells: Can We End the Debate?

...And move on to more important things?

It has always been my contention that: A.) Embryonic stem cells don't really have promise or the big pharmaceuticals would be all over them B.) The private sector should be the ones doing and funding the research -not the federal government

"...Congress opens a second showdown with President George W. Bush over embryonic stem cells this week, with Democrats now in charge and hoping, this time, to push through an expansion of taxpayer-funded research into the controversial cells..." (source)

Now, compounded with the knowledge that there has been no known successes with embryonic stem cells and there has with adult stem cells --doesn't the new knowledge that shows embryonic stem cells can be obtained through amniotic fluid end the debate?

"...On Sunday, researchers offered new evidence that stem cells, very much like those derived from embryos, can be obtained from ordinary amniotic fluid, the liquid that bathes the fetus during pregnancy.

Although such cells had been found before, a report in the journal Nature Biotechnology suggests they can be isolated from the fluid more easily than previously thought and coaxed into developing into muscle, bone, liver, brain and other major cell types in the search for new treatments for diabetes, paralysis and many other maladies.

Now, it appears the birth fluid may be a repository of all sorts of valuable biological material..." (source)